Africa Is a Country

Let the music

Let the music

By
Hinda Talhaoui

Hinda Talhaoui, originally from Paris but based in Brooklyn, drops the second of her posts highlighting the music of her hometown.

Sefyu in a still from the music video for "5 Minutes."

This is the second in my weekly series of popular music from my hometown.  Here‘s a link to my first contribution. This week’s it’s the world of popular rap. Rap style, allow me to reintroduce myself: I am known as Sean’s “French-Algerian connection.” I grew up in the Paris suburbs and now live in New York City. If you wonder how I stay on top of music in Paris, I mine the playlists of her friends back home.

First up is Algiers-born and Montreal-raised Zaho, who is big in Paris. See what she does with the  Bangladesh instrumental for Lil Wayne’s “6 Foot 7” for her song, “En avant la musique.” (We also suspect that’s an Angelique Kidjo sample about 0:46 into the song.)

Zaho’s second album “CONTAGIEUSE” comes out in December.

Bonus: Zaho freestyles with popular rapper La Fouine, on a tune that breaks with his usual, braggadocious style.

Later this month Nessbeal, a veteran of the French rap battles, drops his fourth album, “Sélection Naturelle.” This is the video for the first single “ force et honneur.”

Sefyu never shows his eyes. And he won’t next week when his latest album, ‘Oui je le suis’ (Yes I am) comes out on Thursday. In the video for “5 Minutes,” the lead single off the new album, he keeps that posture. (Random fact: he was a promising footballer when he got injured and became a professional rapper.)

Finally, some nice beats from Richie&Beats. This is “H@y Baby” from his forthcoming (2012) project “Since 1985/ I’@m…MisterBeats.”

Further Reading

Not exactly at arm’s length

Despite South Africa’s ban on arms exports to Israel and its condemnation of Israel’s actions in Palestine, local arms companies continue to send weapons to Israel’s allies and its major arms suppliers.

Ruto’s Kenya

Since June’s anti-finance bill protests, dozens of people remain unaccounted for—a stark reminder of the Kenyan state’s long history of abductions and assassinations.

Between Harlem and home

African postcolonial cinema serves as a mirror, revealing the limits of escape—whether through migration or personal defiance—and exposing the tensions between dreams and reality.

The real Rwanda

The world is slowly opening its eyes to how Paul Kagame’s regime abuses human rights, suppresses dissent, and exploits neighboring countries.

In the shadow of Mondlane

After a historic election and on the eve of celebrating fifty years of independence, Mozambicans need to ask whether the values, symbols, and institutions created to give shape to “national unity” are still legitimate today.

À sombra de Mondlane

Depois de uma eleição histórica e em vésperas de celebrar os 50 anos de independência, os moçambicanos precisam de perguntar se os valores, símbolos e instituições criados para dar forma à “unidade nacional” ainda são legítimos hoje.